Pleural effusion is not a rare disease in Korea. The diagnosis of pleural effusion is very difficult, even though the patients often complain of typical symptoms indicating of pleural diseases. Pleural effusion is characterized by the pleural cavity filled with transudative or exudative pleural fluids, and it is developed by ...

Isolated pleural effusion, so called primary pleural effusion denotes a pleural effusion without documented etiology such as a cardiac, inflammatory, iatrogenic problem or fetal hydrops. Chromosomal anomaly such as Down syndrome may be associated with isolated pleural effusion. The content of the isolated pleural effusion is mostly chylous, and isolated ...

A 29-year-old man suffering from dyspnea and eosinophilic pleural effusion after being on warfarin for pulmonary thromboembolism for a period of one month, was readmitted to our hospital. Etiology of pleural effusion other than warfarin was excluded. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of warfarin-induced ...

The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the effusions of patients with malignant and tuberculous diseases. Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay, VEGF concentration was measured in malignant (n=17) and tuberculous (n=11) pleural effusions. Pleural biopsy, cytology or microbiological ...

A pleural effusion is defined as an excess of pleural fluid within the pleural space. It can be detected by clinical examination if large enough and by different radiological modalities of the thorax, including chest radiograph, ultrasound or computed tomography. A pleural effusion (unilateral or bilateral) is a common clinical ...

There are many diseases that cause pleural effusions. When a patient with a pleural effusion is first evaluated, one should determine if the patient has a transudate or an exudate. A diagnostic approach to the patient with an undiagnosed pleural effusion is outlined. The most common pleural effusions including those caused ...

The ability to recognize, understand, and treat pleural effusions in the pediatric population is important for pediatric health care providers. The topic of pleural effusions has been extensively studied in the adult population. In recent years, these studies have extended into the pediatric population. This review describes pleural effusions in ...

We report a case of middle-aged female presenting with mediastinal widening on chest radiograph owing to pleural effusion. The pleural effusion presenting as mediastinal widening on chest radiograph is rarely reported.

A Spanish man is diagnosed with a non-small cell lung cancer with pleural extension. A chemotherapy combining cisplatin and gemcitabine allows obtaining an excellent partial remission. A contralateral pleural effusion is noted in a context of weight loss and fever. The differential diagnosis of pleural effusion is discussed.

While pleural effusion in multiple myeloma is relatively infrequent, myelomatous pleural effusion is extremely rare. We experienced a 61-year-old woman with IgD-lambda multiple myeloma and pleural effusion. The diagnosis was made originally by pleural biopsy, pleural fluid cytology and immunoelectropheresis of pleural fluid. Transient improvement of the pleural effusion was ...

A case of bilateral eosinophilic pleural effusion with coincidental intestinal infestation of giardia lamblia is being reported. After reviewing the possible causes of this type of pleural effusion, no clinical or laboratory data were obtained which could explain this condition except giardiasis. Moreover the clearance of pleural effusion with the ...

A 24-year old male developed left sided pleural effusion 10 days after the start of anti tubercular chemotherapy for right-sided pleural effusion and parenchymal lesion. This effusion seemed to be a paradoxical response as it resolved on follow up.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer presenting as bilateral malignant pleural effusion is rarely reported. We present a case who presented solely with respiratory symptoms and subsequently found to be having bilateral malignant pleural effusion secondary to anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) with pleural effusion is extremely rare. A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for spreading erythema on his trunk and extremities, as well as dyspnea. One year before admission, he had visited us with a 1-year history of erythema and purpura on his legs and occasional ...

Eosinophilic pleural effusions, defined as a pleural effusion that contains at least 10% eosinophils, may be caused by almost every condition that can cause pleural disease. Eosinophilic pleural effusion occurs most commonly during conditions associated with the presence of blood or air in the pleural space, infections, and malignancy. Drug-induced ...

Pleural effusions are a common development in patients with cancer. The optimal means of control are not defined, but systemic treatment is often effective in patients with drug-sensitive tumors. Local treatments advocated in the management of malignant pleural effusions differ in the means of drainage, the length of time pleural ...

Apoptosis plays a role in the development of pleural effusion. Caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18, a marker for epithelial cell apoptosis, was evaluated in pleural effusion. A total of 79 patients with pleural effusion were enrolled. The underlying causes were lung cancer (n=24), parapneumonic effusion (n=15), tuberculous effusion (n=28), and transudates (n=12). ...

To evaluate the value of pleural fluid alkaline phosphatase and pleural fluid/serum alkaline phosphatase ratio for the purpose of differentiating tuberculous from nontuberculous pleural effusion. A total of 60 indoor patients, admitted to our hospital, having pleural effusion and suffering from varying etiologies, were included in this study. According to ...

Three consecutive cases of isolated pleural effusion in aneuploid fetuses are reported. The presence of pleural effusion in trisomy 13 had not been described in the literature previously. Early development of pleural effusion is usually associated with fetal hydrops and carries a poor prognosis. Late development of pleural effusion can ...

To study the value of adenosine deaminase level in tuber-cular pleural effusion. A hospital based observational study. Out and In patients service of department of Tuberculosis & Chest Diseases, MLN Medical College Allahabad. 50 consecutive patients of pleural effusion, who were above the age of 12 years, were studied. Pleural ...

Pleural effusion unassociated with other radiologic evidence of disease is a challenging diagnostic problem. With small effusion, only silhouetting of the diaphragm may be noted. A lateral decubitus view will often be helpful. After a careful history, physical examination and selected hematologic studies, diagnostic thoracentesis is indicated. The following determinations ...

Pleural effusions are a common finding in emergency departments, with cytologic analysis traditionally required for definitive diagnosis. This article describes a classic sonographic appearance of tuberculous pleural effusion.

The conditions of labour appear to favour the development of pleural effusion. The frequency of postpartum pleural effusion was investigated in this study using thoracic ultrasonography. Thirty one postpartum and 22 healthy nonpregnant women of the same age-group were examined, both supine and seated, via an intercostal approach. Seven of ...

Pleural effusion in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is very rare and poorly understood. We report here a 26-year-old male patient having CML and presenting with pleural effusion as the first clinical sign. The possible mechanism of pleural effusion in CML, the cytological interpretive problem and the clinical significance ...

Pulmonary signs are common in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). However, an initial presentation including pleural effusion has not been described. We describe a case of WG in which pleural effusion was the first clinical manifestation. A 45-year-old man with dorsal pain presented with pleural thickening and effusion, and a visible nodule ...

Many different conditions result in the accumulation of pleural fluid. A diagnostic thoracentesis should be performed on all patients with pleural effusion from whom pleural fluid can be easily obtained. Empirically we have found that when the pleural effusion is more than 10 mm thick on the lateral decubitus roentgenogram, ...

Serous effusions in multiple myeloma are uncommon but a myelomatous pleural effusion occurring in these patients is extremely rare. Here we report a rare case of a 38 years lady who was diagnosed to have multiple myeloma and subsequently developed pleural effusion. The myelomatous nature of the effusion was first ...

The aim is to examine whether the changes in pleural fluid interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-8 levels were significant in differential diagnosis of childhood pleural effusions. IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-8 levels in pleural fluids of all 36 patients were measured. The levels of IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-8 ...

Malignant pleural effusions due to multiple myeloma are rare. Effusion in such patients is usually due to congestive heart failure or another process. Malignant myeloma cells identified in cytologic examination of the pleural fluid or by pleural biopsy establish the diagnosis of a myelomatous effusion. This finding portends a poor ...

Pleural effusion is a common medical condition which often presents on the AMU. There are more than 50 recognised causes of pleural effusion which include diseases local to the pleura or underlying lung, systemic conditions, organ dysfunction and drugs.¹ The normal pleural space contains approximately 1mL of fluid. The balance ...

This article gives an overview of the aetiology, diagnostic evaluation and treatment of pleural effusions. A systematic approach including radiological and sonographic examinations and pleural fluid analysis is proposed with a view to selecting the most appropriate therapy. Common forms of exudative pleural effusions are explained in detail. For complicated ...

Filaria has a wide spectrum of presentation. We hereby present a case of Filarial pleural effusion that is a rarity in itself. Filarial lung involvement is usually in the form of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia with pulmonary infiltrates and peripheral eosinophilia, unlike our case where isolated pleural effusion of Filarial etiology ...

The key to effective evaluation of pleural effusions lies in an understanding of the dynamic nature of its formation and alteration. Trying to fit a specimen neatly into a distinct diagnostic category will not only lead to frustration, but is often unnecessary or incorrect. Combined etiologies are common, and although ...

A transudative pleural effusion develops when the systemic factors influencing the formation or absorption of the pleural fluid are altered. The pleural surfaces are not involved by the primary pathologic process. The diagnosis of transudative effusion is simple to establish by examining the characteristics of the pleural fluid. Transudates have ...

A variety of diseases either directly or indirectly affect the pleura, resulting in the accumulation of pleural fluid. A pleural effusion develops whenever the influx of fluid into the pleural space is greater than the efflux. It is now clear that the parietal pleura has the primary role in the ...

Anti-tumor properties assigned to PEDF, beside its role as an inhibitor of angiogenesis, make it a promising candidate in the search of new biomarkers for malignancy. In this study levels of PEDF were investigated in pleural effusions from lung adenocarcinoma and benign inflammatory disease patients. The mean PEDF concentration in ...

Pleural effusions are commonly encountered in clinical medicine. They can represent both a diagnostic and a therapeutic challenge. This article discusses the diagnostic modalities used to evaluate the patient with a pleural effusion. Also discussed are the therapeutic options for the 2 most common causes of pleural effusions encountered by ...

The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of interleukin (IL)-27 in pleural effusions and to evaluate the diagnostic significance of pleural IL-27. The concentrations of IL-27 were determined in pleural fluids and sera from 68 patients with tuberculous pleural effusion, 63 malignant pleural effusion, 22 infectious ...

Experience with haemorrhagic pleural effusion in Nigerians is described. Sixty three cases selected from 283 cases of pleural effusion over a 15-year period were analysed. Haemorrhagic pleural effusion accounted for 22% of all cases of pleural effusion. Malignant cells were found in haemorrhagic fluid in 21% of cases. The commonest ...

Sixty patients of pleural effusion with different aetiology are described. Various microbiological and biochemical parameters were done simultaneously in blood and pleural fluid to differentiate tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis effusions. Some biochemical tests were thought to be helpful in differential diagnosis but no single parameter was found diagnostic. Routine investigations of ...

In spite of the progress in the diagnostic methods, about 20% of the pleural effusions may remain without a proper diagnosis after the use of conventional exams. In order to determine the origin of these effusions, alternative methods and invasive procedures shall be used aiming to determine the etiology of ...

Pleural disease remains a commonly encountered clinical problem for both general physicians and chest specialists. This review focuses on the investigation of undiagnosed pleural effusions and the management of malignant and parapneumonic effusions. New developments in this area are also discussed at the end of the review. It aims to ...

The serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) level was estimated in 30 patients with pleural effusion and 18 healthy controls and was found to be significantly elevated in the former (P less than 0.001). The pleural fluid ADA level in tubercular pleural effusion was always above 50 U/L and was significantly higher ...

Malignant pleural effusions occur in the setting of both solid and hematologic malignancies. Pleural effusion caused by leukemic infiltration is an unusual extramedullary manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with fewer than 20 cases reported (1-11). We report a case of pericardial and pleural effusions in a patient with AML ...

Malignancy is one of the most common causes of pleural effusion. Malignant pleural effusion is defined by the presence of malignant cells in the pleural fluid. Development of malignant pleural effusion usually defines advanced malignancy. Pathophysiology of malignant pleural effusion is not fully understood and may involve complex interactions between ...

Conventional biomarkers cannot always establish the cause of pleural effusions; thus, alternative tests permitting rapid and accurate diagnosis are required. The primary aim of this study is to assess the ability of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in order to diagnose the cause of pleural effusion and compare its efficacy to that of ...

Pleural effusions develop following changes in capillary permeability, capillary hydrostatic pressure, plasma colloid osmotic pressure, or lymphatic drainage. Generalized fluid retention or a transudate suggests a systemic cause while an exudate suggests a local cause. The diagnosis can usually be established by clinical assessment, chest radiography, analysis of pleural fluid, ...